Pokémon- Journey to Dreams
by FABRIZX
Summary: One night, a child met a Dragon in the forest of New Bark Town. Years later, that same child is 14, and ready to start his journey as a Pokémon Trainer, to meet and challenge the creature again! Along for the ride, his friend Tom, dreaming to be a Gym Leader. Together, they will cross the Johto Region in a journey to their dreams!
1. Episode 1- Sparks of the Dawn

**Pokémon- Journey to Dreams**

Episode 1: Sparks of the Dawn

Fabrizio woke up, with the fire in his eyes.

Suddenly, with one move, as the first golden ray of the dawn crept softly beyond the shutters of his bedroom's windows, on the first floor of his house, in the humble New Bark Town.

The light that dominated his mind faded away in the depth of his chestnut brown eyes.

He dreamt it again.

The boy got out of the bedsheets, still sleepy and stunned, trying to somehow manage the dark brown hair and get tressed. As he went on in a sort of trance, a new thought made his way into his mind. _Today is the day. After I waited three years… the day I start my journey._

More or less dressed up, the 14 years old Fabrizio prepared to go downstairs, and couldn't help himself think of that once more.

He dreamt that again.

His recurring dream… or better yet, memory. The reason he put off his journey for three whole years. The night of many years ago…

The night he saw the Dragon.

It had landed before the boy, who was coming back home after hanging out for too long. It descended in a vortex of fire and ice, yellow shining eyes lighting up the mist. Just one roar made the air and the wood of New Bark Town tremble and shake, and when the fog was blown away, Fabrizio could see the Dragon's shape. Huge, dark, chilling. Then, it took off, soaring for the starry sky, not before staring the boy for the longest instant with its burning eye, leaving Fabrizio wordless and shocked in the meadow.

Fear made him put off the journey. Fear of not being ready to meet the Dragon again, along with a burning desire to meet the mysteryous Pokémon once more to know it, understand it… and maybe challenge it.

Now, the moment had come.

He knew why he dreamt it again. Because he would have ketp on dreaming, to the day of their encounter.

But he felt ready now. Even though he was starting later than other Trainers, he didn't slack off during that time. He had prepared on the theory, but knew that nothing surpasses experience. He wrote down whatever insights he could from expert Trainers he met, and he tried to be as physically fit as New Bark Town could allow. Though he was still skinny and not that tall he was prepared to live out in the open with very few problems.

In the meantime, his great friend Tom was up to something as well. He cultivated the dream of becoming a Poison Type Gym Leader and was one year older than Fabrizio, but nonetheless showed a great deal of respect for his younger friend. In the last few months, Tom had managed to make "friends" with a hungry Zubat that had come to seek shelter in his house.

Though, saying "make friends" would not paint the exact picture: Tom adored the Pokémon, while Zubat more or less tolerated and listened to him. It still followed Tom around, though, and it was still better than having no Pokémon at all, Fabrizio considered.

He put on his shoes and went downstairs. After a quick breakfast and a relatively short sermon by both his parents, he was out and heading for Professor Elm's Lab, to go see the Town's very own Pokémon expert.

On the way, Tom came along: "Hey, where do you think you're going, bud?"

"As of yet, still nowhere. What about you?"

"Well, wherever you go, don't think of leaving _me_ out of it, will ya? We got a journey to start together, and _you_ got the idea, pal."

"Indeed. Let's reach the Professor, then, I got a Pokémon to choose. Where's Zubat?"

"I managed to get the little brat in a Ball. Well, the Professor did, mostly. At least I know it won't run away if I somehow upset him."

"You should try to actually make friends with that Pokémon…" suggested Fabrizio.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, bud. It keeps staying with me, but it's like it's doing me a favor or something. You know the starter you gonna choose, by the way?"

"Not even close to. Besides, we're in front of the lab. Might be the time to get in."

"Yup! You go first, pal…" smiled Tom.

The other stayed still: "No, ladies first…"

Tom looked at Fabrizio like he wasn't sure wheter to laugh or not, then he punched him lightly on the shoulder: "What a comedian, uh…"

They entered together.

"Oh hello, boys! I was especially waiting for you, Fabrizio!" said Professor Elm, welcoming them. Tall and skinny, the scientist appeared mildly lost in thought as usual: "You'll have to make a fundamental choice, today. Come, your partner Pokémon is waiting for you!".

Tom stayed behind, leaning against the wall in his sleeveless shirt and baseball cap over very short dark hair. Fabrizio advanced toward the machine beside the table, where three shining Pokéballs laid in wait.

But something else caught his attention: a small dark Pokémon who had just came out from under the table, and was now looking curiously at the boy.

No, it wasn't _looking_ at him.

In fact, it couldn't see at all. It didn't have any eyes.

The Pokémon was blue, quadrupedal, with the chest, neck and head covered in black fur, which spiked over the head in the form of a single horn.

Fabrizio was bewildered: that was a Pokémon of a species never seen in the Johto Region.

"Oh, so that's were you went hiding, you little rogue!" said Professor Elm, rushing over: "She just hatched from an Egg that was sent me from the Unova Region for study. It's a Deino… a Dark/Dragon Type Pokémon. She made friend with the other Pokémon I got from another Region."

He tried to pick Deino up, but the little creature wobbled sideways, smelling the hair, and got once more in front of Fabrizio.

"Seems she likes ya!" Tom chuckled from the door. _A better luck than me and Zubat, sure thing…_

Deino kept smelling the air in front of her.

"Uhm, Fabrizio, it's better for you to get out the way…"

"Why is that?"

"Well, the point is…"

Deino lunged forward, headbutting the boy's leg and almost tripping him over: "Whooah!" uttered Fabrizio, while trying to regain his balance. "That's why…" sighed the Professor: "Deino is a blind Pokémon. She examines everything by biting or ramming, because touch and taste are her best senses."

Fabrizio squatted to look closely at the Pokémon. He noticed several things about her. She was curious, and maybe seeking affection, but she was also strong. Like every young Pokémon, she was ready to grow and train, to express her strenght. But as for many Pokémon, she could have needed a Trainer to help her out.

 _Maybe you found yours, little girl. Or may I found you…_

He moved the hand closer to her. Deino started smelling the air in that general direction and tried a delicate bite.

Fabrizio whitdrew the hand rapidly, and the young Pokémon's teeth snapped invain.

Then the boy reached for his pocket, and after a bit of rummaging he got out an unwrapped Pokéblock and offered it to Deino. The Pokémon smelled food, and reached forward, slowly.

Tom and Professor Elm followed the scene like they were hypnotized. Elm had completely forgotten to show the starter Pokémon to the teenager. Tom was remembering his meeting with Zubat, and the time that took _him_ to make the Pokémon accept food from his hand.

True, Deino was born recently, and was thus more prone to affection, and it had been her to approach the boy first. But Tom and Elm were wondering if there could have been something else as well…

This time, Deino seemed to understand she needed to be delicate to not have Fabrizio withdraw the hand. And even though she couldn't see the boy's kind look, she somehow felt it. She leaned forward, cautiosly and slowly. Too slowly, actually.

Jumping out from another hidden corner of the table, a small orange shape dashed towards Fabrizio's hand and seized the Pokéblock, only to stumble clumsily and roll on herself while gulping the food.

Deino lunged lately and ended up biting the hand of the boy. Fabrizio resisted for a couple of second, then cried out violently for his poor fingers and jumped back, keeping a hand between his curly hair and shaking the other trying to put off the pain. After getting a hold of himself, he focused on the newcomer. He knew that. A small bird Pokémon, orange body and warm plumage, and a yellow three-feathered crest. A little Torchic, a Pokémon from the Hoenn Region.

It was now frisking around carelessly, not feeling guilty at all for the little disaster it caused.

"So there…" sighed again Professor Elm: "She's the other little rascal who made friends with Deino. They have a bizarre understanding of friendship, though."

As he spoke, the two Pokémon were wrapped around each other in a mini-brawl for the lost Pokéblock.

Tom looked at the only Pokéball strapped to his belt: "So they're both chicks?" he considered: "Dunno, I wouldn't like having female Pokémon… couldn't treat them the right way. What do you say, Fabrizio?"

"I got no preferences. Each Pokémon has its own character… how can you say you can't before trying?"

"I don't know, got no skill with girls as well…"

"Neither do I. Maybe it's simpler with Pokémon."

"Maybe depends on who you are." Mumbled Tom: "Maybe you're more suited for it."

Fabrizio stayed silent for a bit: "Or maybe you gotta have more trust in yourself." he finally sentenced.

Then silence came down on the lab for a moment, only interrupted by Torchic and Deino rolling against a shelf with a thud.

Fabrizio then remembered the reason for his visit: "Professor, didn't you have to show the Pokémon I had to choose as my partner?"

"Ehm… I don't think that's necessary anymore, actually."

"What?"

"Uh… It appears to me that you and this Pokémon…" he reflected, pointing at Deino: "…do have, let's say, the right affinity. I would say proceding with the starter's choice it's not necessary at this point, right?"

"Is that the right procedure, Professor?" intervened Tom.

Elm had a flair of pride: "Well, I believe that in my lab I should be the one deciding the right procedure. I reckon you're starting your journey with a Zubat I had to help you catch, is that right?"

"Oh… well, yes."

"Then, Fabrizio? What do you say?" went on Elm, speaking to the brown-haired teenager.

But the boy was already squatting down again to pet the little Pokémon's head. To the Professor, that was more of any answer. There was no need for Fabrizio to talk.

But he did anyway. He raised his head, without stopping to pet Deino's, and declared: "Yes!"

 _It starts with a dragon… how appropriate, considering why I'm leaving._

Then he stood up and walked towards Professor Elm: "I think I'll start my journey with this baby girl here. What do you say, Deino?" The only answer of the Dark Type Pokémon was a soft satisfied growl.

Elm exclaimed: "Well, then it's decided! It is my duty to entrust the Pokédex and Deino's Pokéball, alongside others for the journey to come."

At those words, the young Torchic ran towards Fabrizio and started pecking at his legs.

"Ok, this is _definitely_ irregular…" considered Elm.

But the Pokémon wouldn't want to hear about stopping, and she followed Fabrizio around as he moved, to stay close to Deino.

"Ah!" uttered the boy: "I got it. Professor, I think she doesn't want to be separated from her friend… Professore, do you think that…?"

He left the question hanging in the air.

"Well… in this case… I believe yes!" Elm smiled.

"Hooray!" was Tom's comment: "Original right from the start, ain't ya? The Trainer who begins his Journey with two Pokémons, coming from outside Johto, nonetheless… you caught up with me in a flash. But we'll be even again, you bet on it!"

"So be it!" exclaimed Fabrizio, a radiant smile on his face, giving a high five to Tom.

The formalities were quickly expleted. The Professor gave Deino's Chic Ball and Torchic's Pokéball to Fabrizio, but the two Pokémon seemed to think otherwise, proceeding respectively at Fabrizio's side and on its bacpack. Elm gave both of them the Pokédex, the digital encyclopedia capable of registering Pokémon data when encountered or captured, and wished them good luck on the journey. A quick last goodbye to the family, an accurate gear check, and the pair was on the way in the grassy clearing of Route 29's woods, connecting New Bark Town to Cherrygrove City. Behind them, New Bark dove in the calm waters of Route 27, which led, in the end, all the way to the Kanto Region.

The huge, majestic silhohuette of Mount Silver stood out against the sky, backdrop, warning, and maybe destination of the quest the two boys and their Pokémon had set out to fulfill.

Just before leaving, the two of them had looked at their reflections in the waters of Route 27, like if they were looking tho who they had been, before heading towards what they would have become.

Tom, with his black sleeveless shirt, baseball cap and shoulder back, dark short air and confident epression.

And Fabrizio, a head of curly chaotic brown hair, a dream in his heart and the desire to fulfill it in his eyes, a black jacket over the shirt, backpack and black biker gloves. He had a dark bandanna with a stylized red Pokéball on it and the free "tails" fluttered in the calm breeze. They both looked up to the sky, and to the Mountain.

Tom, thinkind about the challenges and the Poison Type Pokémon he was about to meet, and what he should have done to become a Gym Leader…

And Fabrizio, recalling once last time the Dragon of that night in his mind.

Finally, they took their leave.

Half an hour later, the two had stopped walking in the lovable climate to take a break and eat lunch, surrounded by the songs of a group of Pidgeys, sadly too far away to be sighted.

Tom had started extracting sandwiches from his backpack (he carried the food for both), and setting up the tablecloth.

Fabrizio had got his notebook out and started drawing a sketch of Deino and Torchic. He liked to draw, even if he wasn't that impressive as an artist. After a while, Torchic started looking at the picture, fascinated.

Deino, for her part, tried to devour the paper.

Fortunately, after getting close more calmly, she smelled and poked the paper with her snout, once again as if she could somehow feel and appreciate what she couldn't see. Just too bad she ended up smearing the drawing on the whole paper, rendering it unrecognizable.

Memo to self: use a less liquid ink next time, and only ink when Deino is biting something else, thought Fabrizio, as he cleaned up the spots on the Pokémon's nose with a napkin, and Torchic seemed to chuckle to herself nearby.

Then Tom cried out loud, touching Fabrizio's shoulder: "Hey, look right there!"

With sound of light steps, something had ventured close, attracted by the smell of food, and now it was out in the open. A Poison Type Pokémon, with a belligerant look.

A male Nidoran was preparing to attack…

See you in Episode 2- A Look to a Different Gaze

 _Dedicated to all those who dream their own journey._


	2. Episode 2- A Look on a Different Gaze

Episode 2- Look on a different Gaze

Nidoran winced briefly for having being spotted. Then it started scratching the ground, reading itself for the charge.  
Tom and Fabrizio quickly stood up, ready to face it.  
"Your great moment, Fabrizio! Your first wild Pokémon!" shouted Tom.  
"That's right! Torchic, Deino, get ready!  
"Zubat, go!" Tom ordered.  
A quick, vigorous throw, and the Bat Pokémon was out of the Ball, fluttering and hovering at Tom's right side, nervous for the opponent's presence. Nidoran tensed, growling.  
Looking onto the scene, Fabrizio changed expression, as if something had just clicked in his mind: "Tom,  
"Tom, I got your back! We'll block and weaken it, prepare the Pokéballs!"  
"What?" asked Tom, surprised: "Are you leaving the Pokémon to me?"  
Fabrizio grinned: "You're the Gym leader wanna-be… pick your poison."  
"Don't you want to complete the Pokédex and become a Pokémon Master?"  
"I got two Pokémon, time to get even. Besides, we'll both lose it if you don't hurry up!"  
Indeed, Nidoran was charging already, and it aimed for Torchic.  
"Zubat, use Pluck!" Tom shouted.  
The Flying-Type Pokémon dived and hit Nidoran's forehead with both wings, being slightly bounced back by the residual energy of the Peck attack. Nidoran suffered the blow and stopped its charge, raising some dust as it slided back on the ground.  
Fabrizio took his chance.  
"Deino, Tackle!" Deino jumped a short distance towards Nidoran, in order to ram it, but the Poison Pin Pokémon was quicker, and rolled away, leaving Deino to slam on the ground, dusting the air.  
"Torchic, go for a Scratch!". The Pokémon jerked forward, the little claws ready to strike, towards the point Nidoran just dived to.  
"Wait! What if he's got Poison Point?" Tom exclaimed.  
 _Damn, he's right! Physical attacks are not safe!_  
"Get away, Torchic!" screamed the brown haired boy.  
It was a mistake.  
Interrupting the attack caused Torchic to lose balance, by stopping her jump mid-air and falling to the side. Nidoran made a sudden movement, and for a moment it seemed to be shining. Then it leapt forward, hitting Torchic with its whole body, and sending her flying.  
Fabrizio was startled.  
"The hell was that move?" asked Tom, baffled as well.  
"Chip Away…" Fabrizio grumbled: "A move that exploits every opening by the opponent… normal Nidorans don't have it."  
The wild Pokémon was about to attack again, when Deino jumped between it and Torchic, determined to defend the recovering friend. "Get away, Deino!" screamed Fabrizio.  
But then he looked at Tom, thinking rapidly. His friend was about to give an order to Zubat. He could take advantage of that. The boy signaled to Tom with a hand, and his friend nodded.  
The Fabrizio went on: "Ok, Deino, just a little step back!"  
A bit perplexed, Deino complied, moving closer to Torchic, who had just got up.  
Fabrizio waited. Nidoran flexed its small muscles, and lunged again for a Peck. Coordination with Tom had to be perfect. The boy wished he got his friend's intentions right.  
He was lucky.  
"Zubat, Supersonic!" Tom shouted, at the last second. The Bat Pokémon flew forward, intercepting Nidoran and hitting Nidoran directly with stunning soundwaves that confused the wild Pokémon. With eyes momentarily out of focus, the Poison Type Pokémon stumbled, and Fabrizio took the chance to shout: "Deino, Dragon Rage, go!"  
The Dragon Pokémon opened her mouth, and a little orb of blue flame materialized inside for a second. Then, Deino spat out the fireball, which took the form of a dragon head made of light blue flames, and rushed towards Nidoran. Even if close-ranged, the move was unaccurate, and exploded on the ground a few centimetres off target. The shockwave, though, was still enough to send the Pokémon flying for quite a distance, stunned, but not fainted.  
Tom was quick.  
As Nidoran bounced on the ground to land again, his Pokéball was already in the air, and it closed on the Pokémon before it touched the ground a third time.  
Close and pulsating, the Ball fell down, and it stopped vibrating in the moment it touched down.  
Nidoran had been caught!

"Yeeeaah!" shouted Tom, overjoyed, taking his hat off to wave it in celebration: "Step two for a Gym Leader class team!"  
Fabrizio smiled: "Yeah, nice throw there. Spectacular catch."  
"I owe you this. Wouldn't have managed it if you didn't weaken him." Considered Tom.  
The wavy-haired boy kept laughed a bit: "Tom, I couldn't hit him if you didn't confuse him. And I made a couple more mistakes. Let's stop thinking ifs and buts, and think of the next fights, would you?"  
"Yeah, got it, but those were good moves. You got the staff of a Champion Trainer, pal!" Tom grinned.  
Fabrizio grinned back: "Then I'll be the first to challenge your Gym when it opens."  
They both laughed, then Tom picked up the Pokéball to check Nidoran's info in the Pokédex: "Seems like male Nidorans have a great sense of hearing, and tend to charge into intruder as soon as they spot one. They should live more towards Route 35, though."  
"We know two things, then…" Fabrizio replied, while they resumed the march.  
"Uh?" Tom was curious.  
"First: there could more around here, maybe moving from Route 35 to search for food. I read they live in groups…"  
"And second?" pressed Tom.  
"Second, Nidoran is a lot like you. I mean for the headless charges, not the good hearing." he concluded in a wry smile. "Oh, and I remember them to live in groups with the females… he's probably better with the girls, as well."  
Tom stared back at his friend: "Yeah, what about if I tell you…"  
A couple of friendly swears followed. The boys started laughing once more.  
"By the way…" Fabrizio went on: "I noticed that our cooperation covered the errors of our Pokémon. We should train more on fighting together."  
"We can't always tag team, though…" mumbled Tom: "Gyms, and all that… the important fights are one on one."  
"Yeah, but not all of the journey." Fabrizio replied: "That's important as well. If we can't cooperate with each other, how could we bond with our Pokémon?"  
Tom thought of that for a moment, then asked: "How do we start?"  
"I don't know. First thing, you could get Zubat and Nidoran out. Make them ride along with us and my Pokémon, so they can befriend each other. And maybe you get Nidoran used to you as well.  
Then we could leave the training for tomorrow, in the next town. Oh, by the way, have you got the map?"  
Tom answered: "We both have it, check the PokéGear. Next up is Cherrygrove City, then Violet City.  
There you'll get your first Gym Badge, and I'll have to ask Gym Leader Falkner about the Pokémon League Gym license path…" his voice was full of excitement.  
Fabrizio cut him short: "Wonderful. Then hurry up, we gotta get there before nightfall."  
Tom sent out his Pokémon, and after some minutes of introductions they were back on the road. Two boys and four Pokémon, on the gentle curves of the path for the first milestone of a journey to their dreams.  
The first houses of Cherrygrove started to pop out from behind the horizon, and the sky slowly painted itself of an orange hue. The twilight cast a delicate fire on almost everything, coloring trees and landscapes with a color that would have made the far away walls of the Bell Tower shine as flames.  
Spring air became fresh, and the breeze became light and caressing on the skins of the two boys and their Pokémon, fatigued by the long walk, but happy, and serene.  
Feeling the fresh air and looking at the fiery light, Fabrizio couldn't help thinking once more of the Dragon. The way he felt that night… small, frightened, yes. But also amazed for that huge silhouhette, bright yellow eyes as the disk of the setting sun.  
It had left him the impression of a greatness out there, beautiful and terrifying, yet hidden.  
It had to be sought after, to be hunted for. He had to find the Dragon to find out the meaning of his research. He would have found out what he wanted from himself.  
That encounter, if it ever took place, would have set the course of his life forever.

Fabrizio was the first to see the approaching Pidgey, maybe because he was already looking at the Sky. The Tiny Bird Pokémon darted in the air, maybe wary of intruders, and it landed in front of them, jumping back and forth, with a combative look.  
A series of quick sounds was heard from the trees on the side of the road, rustling leaves and what seemed quick steps.  
"Good!" Tom reacted: "Fabrizio, I got _your_ back, now! Do me a favor and catch it, okay?".  
"Wha…? Oh, right. Perfect!" surprised by his friend's readiness, Fabrizio prepared for battle.  
Tom sent out Nidoran for his first fight.  
"Torchic, it's your move!"  
The little orange chick jumped of Fabrizio's bacpack, and took on an aggressive look.  
Pidgey was unphased, and took off for half a meter from ground, ready to fight.  
The sounds from the woods started again, while the two Trainers studied the nervous wild Pokémon. They looked at each other to think of a strategy. A gesture by Tom left Fabrizio the first move.  
But the young Trainer couldn't take his chance…  
"Now! Attack with Foul Play!" a voice burst out of the trees, and a dark, indefinite, spherical form flew out of the bushes, only to stop mid-air in an instant near Pidgey, revealing large malicious eyes, with short red stripes between one another on an ethereal purple body. A Gastly…  
The Ghost Pokémon stood still for a fraction of a second, the grinning mouth wide open, then shined of violet light and dealth a powerful blow with all its mass to the astonished bird Pokémon, throwing him against a tree. Pidgey fell on the ground, and then got back slowly on its feet, attempting to take flight and attack Gastly, but he fell over again.  
 _That's right!_ Fabrizio realized, _Foul Play directs the Attack power of the opponent right back at him. An impressive surprise attack… but from where?_  
"Good, now finish it off!"  
The high pitched, determined voice came out once more from the trees, while Tom, Fabrizio and their Pokémon were petrified at the sudden turn of events.  
Pidgey managed to get back up, and though weakened, he went flying at Gastly, using a Tackle attack. Gastly remained motionless, and the Normal Type attack simply passed through it. Pidgey itself went through the Ghost Pokémon and behind it… and Gastly had already turned, ready for the counterattack.  
A second Foul Play took down the Pokémon, which fainted and fell.

"What the…?" Fabrizio and Tom wondered, in unison.  
In that same moment, the answer came out of the trees: "Good job, my boy!" a female voice congratulated, addressing Gastly, who flew towards his Trainer for the reward. She started petting the Pokémon, proving it was not always completely incorporeal, despite its gaseous composition.  
"Oh, hi guys! How's your day?" the girl started off, as if she had only just now noticed them.  
The two just stared at her in dismay.  
"Hey, I think you just knocked down our Pokémon! Don't you have to say sorry?" said Tom, rashly.  
"Well, to ME, a wild Pokémon is no one's if you don't catch it. Shouldn't you have hurried up?" she replied, without even looking at him. Tom was starting to get riled up, and was about to reply as well.  
"Well, you saw us fighting it…" Fabrizio intervened.  
"Well, I saw…" she seemed to concede: "that the two of you weren't really concluding that much. So, having a journey to be on and Gyms to challenge, I kinda got to get moving. You two take all your time, no worries. And now, sorry and bye-bye!"  
She set out for the road, while Tom seemed just about to explode. Fabrizio put a hand on his friend's shoulder to hold him back, and addressed the girl: "What are you challenging Gyms for, then?"  
She stopped, and turned to look at the boy: "Why, same reason of every Trainer, actually. To be the best. To become a Pokémon Master, or what?"  
Fabrizio continued, a curious expression on his face: "No, I mean… why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?"  
Suddenly, she seemed to become more serious: "Not something I tell to strangers, boy."  
And she turned back, as if she wanted to walk away.  
Tom shouted at her: "Well, we won't be strangers for long, you simpering miss! I'm traveling to become a Gym Leader, and Fabrizio here will be a Pokémon Master and complete the Pokèdex, so cut your act, will ya?"  
The girl stopped once more, as if something hit her. She turned, giving just a perplexed look to Tom, then stared right at Fabrizio's eyes. The light in their gaze was identical, and in the sunset's light it gained the shades and pattern of an incandescent spark. Part of that light shined in Tom's eyes, beside them.  
"So you want to be a Pokémon Master, as well? Well, you'll have to have the staff to do that, 'cause you can bet I won't allow anyone to surpass me."  
"Same here." replied the wavy brown-haired boy. "I'm Fabrizio. He's Tom. First day on our journey."  
He looked her in greater detail, now.  
She had a round wide face, and smart traits, with a tongue-in-cheek kind of look. Long brown hair, softly fading to lighter shades, while they hung to the side of her face. On her forehead, the hair was lightly pulled back. She was in good shape, as tall Fabrizio, slightly chubby in a pretty way, and wore jeans over a pair of boots, an acquamarine pullover, and a black scarf. She also had a pair of elaborate earrings, decorated with a greenish-turqoise stone.  
Lastly, her eyes were of a strange, amazing color, halfway between green and grey. She offered a hand to him: "The name's Marta. First day for me, as well. So from now on, may the best man win! Or the best woman, I guess…"  
He shook her hand for a couple of seconds, and kept staring at the girl. "May the best one win!" he concluded, leaving her hand.  
"Got no time now, but next time we meet, you're not getting away without a challenge! See you son, my boys!"  
And with Gastly hovering by her side, she ran towards Cherrygrove, disappearing.

Still amazed by the strange encounter, the boys set out to get in town before nightfall. In the meantime, Pidgey had recovered just enough strenght to jump away and get lost.  
Fabrizio kept on walking towards the town, as the setting sun became redder and redder in its dive through the Cherrygrove sea, shining in his eyes to remind him the light he wanted to follow.  
"See you soon, my boys!" Marta said, running away.  
 _Oh, you bet on it._

See you again in episode 3- Five Trials Ahead!

 _Dedicated to all those who dream their own journey._


End file.
